Patents Examined by Richard A. Schacher
  • Patent number: 5395104
    Abstract: A paper conveying device overruns a document from a stop position and then, switches the document back so that the end of the document collies with a document abutting member provided in the stop position. At this time, the amount of overrun and the amount of switchback of the document are respectively set to the minimum ones required, to reduce the stress applied to the document, and the most suitable control is carried out even in a special mode (SDF mode) in which the document conveying speed is low. More specifically, at the time of the SDF mode, even if a stop instruction is given at timing T2, timing at which a conveying motor is turned off is delayed by a short time .increment.T. A distance A' from the timing T2 to the time when the conveying motor is completely stopped is detected, and the conveying motor is rotated in the reverse direction by a distance B' equal to the distance A'. The conveying motor is rotated in the reverse direction by position control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 7, 1995
    Assignee: Mita Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Harada, Yasuhiko Kida
  • Patent number: 5383656
    Abstract: A paper transport system includes an apparatus for controlling movement of the sheets along the predetermined course to provide sheet buffering. The apparatus includes first and second friction surfaces mounted for movement in orbital paths on opposite sides of the predetermined course in opposed relationship to define a nip through which the paper sheets pass. A selectively operable drive is provided for independently controlling the movement of the first and second friction surfaces, and the first friction surface has a coefficient of friction with the paper sheets which is greater than the coefficient of friction of the second surface with the paper sheets which is in turn greater than the coefficient of friction between the paper sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 24, 1995
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Barry P. Mandel, David R. Kamprath, Francesca A. Barrientos, Richard A. Van Dongen, Anthony T. DeSanctis, Charles D. Rizzolo
  • Patent number: 5379992
    Abstract: A device whereby a pile of rectangular items is placed on an inclined surface and pushed towards the straight front edge thereof by a push unit. The surface presents two pairs of conveyor belts parallel to each other and coplanar with the surface; and the pile is arrested upon a bottom portion of the first item in the pile activating a first or second limit stop sensor, which activates a respective pair of belts so as to move the bottom left or right portion of the item and so orient the item in relation to a gripping plane. A gripping unit with two suction cups movable along a three-dimensional trajectory grips the oriented item and feeds it to a follow-up conveyor belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 10, 1995
    Assignee: Finmeccanica S.p.A.
    Inventors: Lawrence B. Holmes, Roberto Facciolo, Andrea Faure, Nedo Gennari, Vincenzo Priolo
  • Patent number: 5377968
    Abstract: A feeder in a paper sheet processing machine has a plurality of lifting suckers for lifting a paper sheet from a stack of paper sheets. After the sheet is lifted into a raised position it is entrained by a transport device and transported to a paper sheet processing unit. A force potential acts permanently on the lifting sucker downwardly in a direction towards the stack. The lifting sucker is lifted against the force potential in a cyclically controlled manner in a lifting and lowering stroke. A retaining collar is formed on the lifting sucker beneath which a retaining support engages so as to delay a return of the lifting sucker to its lower position and to stop the sucker in the lower position. The retaining support is mounted shiftably parallel to the stroke direction of the lifting sucker. Controlled pneumatics communicate with the retaining structure, so as to shift the same as a function of the stroke position of the lifting sucker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 3, 1995
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventors: Peter Sobotta, Isolde Maxeiner
  • Patent number: 5377972
    Abstract: A sorter for sorting sheets out is provided with a bin unit including a plurality of bins having specified length and width and a bin shifting mechanism for shifting the bin unit upward and downward. The respect ire bins are vertically spaced apart and adapted for placing the sorted sheets thereon. The sorter is further provided with a first detector for detecting that the bin unit has been moved down to a home position region defined in a lower portion of the sorter, and a shift controller for controlling the bin shifting mechanism. The shift controller shifts the bin unit downward until the first detector conducts the detection when the bin unit is not in the home position region when the power is applied the sorter. Accordingly, the home position of the bin unit can be detected accurately with a simple structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 3, 1995
    Assignee: Mita Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshio Sugishima, Youichirou Irie, Tooru Himegi, Hiroyuki Nagai, Nobukazu Ootsuka, Takatoshi Nishimura, Kenichi Honda, Shouichirou Tajima, Keiichi Asano, Hiroyuki Kawaguchi, Shigeki Tamura, Motohisa Washitani
  • Patent number: 5377966
    Abstract: A compact automatic document feeder having a document storage portion including a document tray for placing thereon given original documents to be fed into an image processing device such as a copying machine, and a document receiving device disposed on the document tray. The document receiving device comprises document holding members movable widthwise for holding the document to be fed into the image processing device, and document supporting members for receiving the document discharged from the image processing device is adapted to effectively divide the document stacked on the document tray and the discharged document independently, so as to prevent the document being discharged from colliding with the document left on the document tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 3, 1995
    Assignee: Nisca Corporation
    Inventor: Masaki Ohmori
  • Patent number: 5377969
    Abstract: To separate sheet-type recording media of different stiffnesses from a stack, a separating roller acts by friction on the current first sheet of the stack, in order to push it against a ramp and lift it up from the stack along this ramp. The separating roller is mounted in freely movable manner in a plane parallel to the plane of the stack, so that, as a function of the stiffness of the recording medium, it rolls over the stack and away from the ramp until the front edge of the sheet is able to bend sufficiently at the ramp to be separated. Thereby the separating roller adjusts automatically to the distance from the ramp that is optimum for the stiffness of the current recording media.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 1992
    Date of Patent: January 3, 1995
    Inventor: Friedhelm Steinhilber
  • Patent number: 5374053
    Abstract: A device for changing the transport position of products such as sheet material signature fed to further processing units includes movable upper transport (4) and movable lower transport (7) in a transport plane (29). Products (22) are guided by the upper and lower transport (4, 7) in the transport plane (29). An alignment element (14, 15) attached on a rotary body (8) cyclically diverts the upper transport. Simultaneously, the position of the products (22) on said lower transport (7) is corrected by engagement with an abutment surface (19) on the alignment element (14, 15).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 20, 1994
    Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
    Inventors: Louis J. Doucet, Gilles L. Fecteau
  • Patent number: 5374047
    Abstract: In separating one of a plurality of sheets stacked in a cassette from the remainder, a separation pad holder facing one side of the circumference of a sheet feed roller, which is rotatably driven, is urged in such a manner that a separation pad is brought into contact with or separation from the circumference of the sheet feed roller. Accordingly, an uppermost sheet can be pushed out in separation by friction force. When the sheet reaches a pair of sheet feed rollers, the separation pad holder can retreat with the interference of a projection formed in the separation pad holder by its own tension of the sheet across each circumference of the sheet feed collars and the pair of sheet feed rollers, thus eliminating friction generated between the separation pad and the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 1993
    Date of Patent: December 20, 1994
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masaaki Tsukamoto, Mitsuyoshi Uehara
  • Patent number: 5374044
    Abstract: In accordance with the present invention a vacuum and belt document handling system comprises first structure for transporting individual documents along a document path in a first direction, second structure downstream from the first structure for transporting the individual documents in a second direction along the document path, and a vacuum drum having a peripheral section located between the first and second structure. The vacuum drum includes a plurality of non-rotating sections having stationary vacuum ports at the peripheral section and further includes a plurality of pulleys, each of which support an upper reach of an endless belt at the peripheral section of the vacuum drum between the first and second structure. The system further comprises a plenum shaft to which the non-rotating section of the vacuum drum is fixedly secured and the pulleys are rotatably secured. The plenum shaft is connected to a vacuum source and the stationary vacuum ports are connected to holes in the plenum shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 1993
    Date of Patent: December 20, 1994
    Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.
    Inventors: Eric A. Belec, William J. Wright
  • Patent number: 5374149
    Abstract: A vertical conveyor which is preferably for storing and conveying automobiles is disclosed. The conveyor is comprised of two, spaced apart parallel vertical frame members supportingly connected together with a plurality of diagonal braces and horizontal beams. An endless compression chain which is in the shape of a racetrack is mounted in each frame member, and each end of a plurality of platforms which hold the automobiles is connected to compression links of the corresponding compression chain. A motor drive unit is mounted between the frame members in the space between passing conveyed platforms. The motor drive unit comprises a single double ended electric motor having a housing and a driven shaft extending from both sides of the housing. The motor is centrally mounted between the frame members, and two substantially similar, but oppositely extending, drive trains are operatively connected at respective ends of the motor shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 1993
    Date of Patent: December 20, 1994
    Assignee: CompuTower Technologies, Corp.
    Inventor: Robert D. Lichti
  • Patent number: 5370380
    Abstract: A sheet feeding apparatus includes a sheet supporting device for supporting sheets, a supply device for feeding the sheets supported by the sheet supporting device in a sheet feeding direction, a separating claw device for separating, one-by-one, the sheets fed by the supply device by regulating at least one front corner of the sheets relative to the sheet feeding direction. A switching device selectively switches positions of the separating claw device between a first position where the separating claw device is separated from the sheet supporting device and a second position where the separating claw device is adjacent to the sheet supporting device. A separation device separates, one-by-one, the sheets fed by the supply device in a condition that the separating claw device is in the second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 6, 1994
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsuo Suzuki, Shinnosuke Taniishi, Junichi Asano, Soichi Hiramatsu, Haruyuki Yanagi, Takashi Nojima, Satoshi Saikawa
  • Patent number: 5370382
    Abstract: The stack-forming device (10) has a stack compartment (20), which is closed at the bottom by slide plates (22) and to which printing products (16) are fed by the conveying device (14). Above the slide plates (22), intermediate-bottom elements (58) can be pushed into the stack compartment (20), on which elements the fed printing products (16) can be deposited one on top of the other at the beginning of a preliminary stack formation. As soon as a certain number of printing products have been stacked, the intermediate-bottom elements (58) are drawn out of the stack compartment (20), as a result of which the stacked printing products (16) fall onto the slide plates (22), and the preliminary stack is completed by feeding further printing products (16). The finished preliminary stack is then set down onto the depositing table (30) by moving the slide plates (22) apart.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 1993
    Date of Patent: December 6, 1994
    Assignee: Ferag AG
    Inventor: Jakob Wetter
  • Patent number: 5368284
    Abstract: A roll or strip feed system for inserting flat stock to the operative position of a machine tool consisting of an automatic material lift apparatus working in conjunction with a centralizing guide to feed flat stock intermittently into an entry guide roller which pushes strip stock to an operative machine position, and thereafter, pulls the remnant strip by means of exit rollers to a discard position. The roller assemblies are pneumatically controlled as to tension and driven electrically as the total operation is under control of a pre-programmed controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 1993
    Date of Patent: November 29, 1994
    Assignee: I G Incorporated
    Inventor: Lawrence B. Renth
  • Patent number: 5368289
    Abstract: In a recording sheet conveying device comprising: a dielectric sheet which moves at a predetermined speed while electrostatically retaining a recording sheet on the outer surface thereof; a charger positioned on the side of the inner surface of the dielectric sheet, to induce electrostatic attraction forces between the dielectric sheet and the recording sheet; and a deflector roll having an electrically conductive layer as an outer surface thereof, the deflector roll being confronted with the charger and adapted to push the recording sheet against the dielectric sheet, the number of electric charges provided by the charger is so adjusted that electrostatic attraction forces acting on the rear end portion of the recording sheet are weaker than those acting on the front end portion of the recording sheet, whereby the recording sheet is prevented from being wrinkled when electrostatically retained on the dielectric sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 29, 1994
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshinari Iwaki, Nobuo Hyakutake, Jun Takagi, Noriyoshi Kono, Kunimasa Aoshima, Hiroyuki Otsuka, Akira Ogita, Kouji Hamabe
  • Patent number: 5368285
    Abstract: An automatic sheet feeding apparatus has a plurality of sheet supporting means adapted to stack and support sheets and to be arranged laterally side by side below in an image forming device, sheet feeding rollers for feeding out the respective sheets supported by the sheet supporting device, and a guide for supporting the sheet supporting device so that the sheet supporting device can be retracted in a direction intersecting a sheet feeding direction from the sheet feeding device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 1992
    Date of Patent: November 29, 1994
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Toshihiko Kusumoto
  • Patent number: 5366214
    Abstract: The enclosure feed device is constituted in such a way that a drive motor is provided for rockably driving a rocking arm, and a control unit is provided for causing the memory section to input the variable amount relative to the sucking position of the sucking cap in conformity with the thickness of said enclosures from the variable amount inputting section and storing the same and adjusting the sucking position of said sucking cap by controllably energizing the drive motor for sucking operation in accordance with the variable amount stored in the memory by means of the CPU section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 1993
    Date of Patent: November 22, 1994
    Assignee: Juki Corporation
    Inventor: Koki Sato
  • Patent number: 5362041
    Abstract: A sheet registering unit for an image forming apparatus in which in the location upstream of the transfer stage, a preregistering roller device and a registering roller device are disposed while being separated with a predetermined distance from each other, and the leading edge of a sheet of paper is positioned with the aid of a loop of the sheet formed in a manner that the leading edge is thrust against the nip of the paired rollers of the registering roller device, and in this state the sheet is additionally pushed by the preregistering roller pair. In the sheet registering unit, the shafts supporting the roller members of the registering roller device or the roller members are supported by the combination of linear bearing members and springs, and by a pressure in the oblique direction caused in the sheet nipped by the registering roller device, the roller members of the registering roller device are shifted in the axial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 1993
    Date of Patent: November 8, 1994
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takahiko Ryuzaki, Yoshio Kogure, Hideo Ichikawa, Yasuo Nakamura, Takuji Miyazawa
  • Patent number: 5358235
    Abstract: A sheet feeder for stopping a conveyance of a sheet at a registration location. The sheet feeder includes: registration rollers, positioned at a registration location, for stopping a conveyance of a sheet; buckling rollers for conveying the sheet toward the registration rollers, and for conveying the sheet so that said sheet has a pressure contact with the pair of buckling rollers; a photosensor for detecting a leading edge of the sheet at a predetermined location, and for generating an edge detection signal; a driver for releasing the pressure contact of the sheet with the pair of buckling rollers; and a controller for controlling the driver to release said sheet based on the edge detection signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 25, 1994
    Assignee: Konica Corporation
    Inventors: Shinobu Konno, Masaru Ushio
  • Patent number: 5358231
    Abstract: A corrugating roller assembly for use in sheet handling systems for advancing sheets along a path comprising a belt supported for rotation and rollers positioned adjacent the belt to form a corrugation nip with the belt. The device further includes apparatus for allowing the belt to move from a first sheet receiving position to a sheet corrugating position so that the leading edge of a sheet advancing along the path engages the belt and is guided thereby into the corrugation nip which includes the belt. The assembly further includes apparatus for actuating the rollers to drive the sheet through the corrugation nip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 25, 1994
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventor: Jeffrey L. Andela, deceased